Trouble in Paradise?
by Lily MJ Fae
Summary: An excerpt from "Not so Black and White," Severus and Hermione go on their first date and get off to a rocky start. An entry for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.


_**A/N: **__This is an entry for round three of The __**Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition**__, and an excerpt from my fanfiction __Not so Black and White__. The prompt is to write about your OTP. As __**keeper**__ for the __**Ballycastle Bats**__ my prompt was to specifically write about my OTP having an argument._

_A little background on the fic: Some point during the battle, Hermione was captured. Severus was doing his duties as a death eater, but had her face covered. 9 months after the battle, Hermione had a son, and __worked to keep Severus out of Azkaban. 6 months later, she ran into him at lunch and had to tell him the truth._

**Chapter Fifteen**

Severus, after much deliberation, had decided that Hermione was right, and he formally asked her out. She thought it was odd to think about Severus in that way, asking someone out. But her thoughts didn't really matter, because with Harvey being watched by Minerva, she was nervous. All her life, she had known Severus to be critical and brutally honest. She wanted nothing more than to impress him, and that confused her even more. He'd seen her naked for Merlin's sake. But that was a different circumstance. And she wanted a fresh start, even more so than the one that started with lunch seven months prior.

She looked at her clothes, unsure of what to wear. In his owl, he had instructed her to dress nicely. But that was so vague, and extremely uncharacteristic of him. Did he want formal ball nice? Or casual date nice? She figured it was probably something in between, but that was still too much choice. She almost wished that she hadn't already left her son in the care of her professor. She could have laid some dresses out and let him pick. She loved it when she was having trouble deciding what to wear and just laid it out and and he crawled, or now walked, to whatever he liked most.

She sighed, deciding that if she spent all her time thinking about what to wear, she'd be late, and he might not forgive that. So instead she laid out a few of her nice dresses, that she might wear to a fancy restaurant, and went to wash up. She finally managed to use only half a bottle Sleekeazy's hair potion in order to tame her wild mane. Of course, most people would question why she bothered to do that at all as she began curling her hair, but she wanted the perfect curls, not a wild mass of waves.

She went with subtle make up, mostly trying to make her eyes stand out, and wearing red lipstick, a secret love of hers when she dressed up. Then she walked over to the dresses spread out on her bed and picked up the one she wore to Bill and Fleur's wedding. Once she was dressed, and placed her red gem flower necklace around her neck, she stepped into her matching red heels.

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as someone knocked at her door. He was a few minutes early. She walked as steadily as she could to the door and opened it, to find Severus in a white dress shirt and black dress pants. His hair was slicked back, and she was surprised.

"Good evening, Severus," her voice squeaked out, betraying her nervousness.

Severus smirked and then smiled, a genuine smile that she had only seem a few times around their son, "Good evening, Hermione. You look lovely."

She felt her cheeks burn, and he only smirked more, "Thank you."

"Shall we go," Severus asked as he held out an arm for her to take.

Hermione didn't want to embarrass herself further and only nodded, taking his arm.

Hermione had never been more thankful for curfew, though she bet many students were probably still out of bed. Still, their chances of being seen were slim.

"So where are we going," she finally asked as they almost reached Hogsmeade.

"A little restaurant in a quiet muggle village."

She nodded slightly as they stopped, and he diapparated.

* * *

They sat in silence by the time their food was set in front of them, having run out of small talk. Hermione wondered if he was enjoying himself at all. He hadn't smiled since he picked her up. She also knew she had to tell him about her conversation with Kingsley. Oh how she dreaded that, knowing he would be angry.

"Are you dissatisfied with your food," Severus asked, looking at the food she'd barely touched.

"Not at all," she said, taking a bite to prove her point.

"Then maybe you care to share what thoughts are so distracting."

She ignored the jest in his voice, like he was hinting to some of their previous encounters. Instead she finished chewing her bite and swallowed, chasing it down with a sip of wine.

"It's just, with all the press about us, Kingsley is worried about my reputation."

"And why does the minister care so much?"

"Well he cares about all of us from the order. And he is a friend. Not to mention my reputation is going to affect Harry's."

"So how does he plan to fix it?"

Hermione took a bite, trying to put off her explanation about the press conference, but he gave her a stern look. She didn't understand how she could date him when he planned on playing the professor card to get the information he wanted. Although playing professor and student...She shook the thoughts from her head before they could plant. No distractions.

"Well he asked if I would be willing to do a press conference."

"And you declined," it was a statement, not a question, that confirmed what his reaction would be.

"On the contrary, I agreed to it. I recognize that it could backfire, but I'm tired of explaining myself. At least I can answer the questions in a controlled environment. And Skeeter's supposed 'quick quotes' quill won't work. I can't wait to see her struggle."

"I don't care to have such a private manner put out for all the world to judge. And what do you think they'll think when you give the same pathetic excuse you gave me? That you just can't explain it."

"I understand it's not going to be easy, but I had no intention on broadcasting everything."

"That's the only way they'll be satisfied."

"So you don't trust me?"

"I barely know you."

"And I barely know you. Yet I've trusted you with my son, knowing how cruel you've been to children in the past, especially myself. I've trusted you to teach me even more. And now I'm trusting you in this situation. I think you could find it in you to trust me, even a little bit, given I have now saved your life on two occasions."

"Two occasions, Miss Granger?"

"Yes. Two occasions," she spat at him, "the first being that I made the cure to Nagini's cursed bite, the very cure that was used on you. And the second being that I helped ensure you didn't send up in Azkaban."

"If we're going off that, what about the times I saved you and your little friends."

"And of those times, how many were because you were told to? Or out of guilt?"

"My motives are unimportant, Miss-"

"Like hell they aren't. A man kills a man, it's in cold blood. A man kills a man attacking him, he's commended for self defense. Motive is everything. I made that cure because someone close to me got sick, and I didn't want that to happen to anyone else. I didn't send you to Azkaban because I knew you didn't deserve it. I have done nothing to have earned this lack of trust in you now."

"Yet you insist on this press conference."

"Yes, because I'm tired of the slander in my name. If it keeps up at this rate, it's going to make Harvey's life very difficult and he deserves better."

"And if they asked about us, if they asked if we were together, what would you say? Or what if they ask why you left George? And how George is handling being separated from his child?"

"I will be honest. I will tell them that we were never actually together. And that at the moment you are building a relationship with your son and a friendship with his mother. I will tell them that George and I had many issues, hiding feelings from each other."

Before Severus could respond, there was a loud pop followed quickly by a flash of light and a hissing sound. Hermione and Severus blinked away the black spots that blinded them. When they could see again, Rita Skeeter stood before them.

"Oh I can't wait for this edition. I don't even have to know what you were fighting about. 'Trouble in Paradise,' oh I can just see it now. Enjoy your dinner, and whatever time you have left as master and apprentice."

Hermione glared, ready to go after her, but she looked at Severus who was clearly livid. He looked at her with hate filled eyes.

"And what are you going to say to that? I hope you enjoy being ripped from Hogwarts, they'll make me stop teaching you for sure. If you hadn't been in such a rush to start things, we wouldn't be in this mess." He slammed his hand on the table and stormed out, leaving her alone. The waitress came over and offered her a sympathetic look. Hermione simply asked for some boxes and paid the tab.

Outside, the air was brisk. She shivered slightly, but ignored it as she decided to walk around and clear her mind. She had not intended on revealing anything about them personally. Her plan had been to remain vague about everything, until they agreed together that they wanted to be public.

With a quick _tempus_ she learned that it was after 10. Harvey was already asleep, and Minerva had agreed to watch him all night, just in case. She wasn't ready to go back to the castle, but she needed sleep.

And she regretted returning when she saw the latest edition of The Daily Prophet sitting in her room.

* * *

**Trouble in Paradise**

_Member of the golden trio, Hermione Granger was spotted at dinner with her potions master this evening having an argument. As it was earlier outed that the two have been carrying on a secret affair since before the war, we have been watching. This is their first outing in several months, and shortly a fight broke out. Although I did not make out what they were arguing about, it was clearly a heated argument. I did hear mentions of a lack of trust, could it be that Hermione Granger is already straying? We all know her reputation as being a fickle girl._

* * *

Hermione crumpled the paper and threw it into the fire, tears of rage rolling down her face as she walked over to her stationary at her desk.

_Kingsley,_

_Could we move that press conference up? I'll be ready whenever you need me. Maybe tomorrow afternoon or evening?_

_Hermione_

She sent the owl, hoping that he wouldn't notice the tear spots on the paper. Why did it have to be him? Of all the wizards in the world, it had to be Severus Snape.


End file.
